Paula Stadeker: The search for the Common Core Standards

Saturday

Mar 15, 2014 at 8:30 PM

As a parent, grandparent, district volunteer, community worker and just plain concerned citizen, I began to wonder what all the buzz was about concerning Common Core Standards. So I used the Internet to search for answers.

First, what are Common Core Standards? They are the benchmarks developed by a diverse group of educators and citizens nationwide in 2010 and adopted by 47 states. These will become the standards by which all students in Illinois will be measured starting next school year.

They were developed to ensure that students from K-12th grade will become college and career ready in the 21st century. It replaces what is now known as the Illinois Learning Standards, which were created in 1995 in the areas of English language arts, social science and math.

After researching several sites, both pro and con, with regard to the Common Core Standards, I have learned that we are returning to basics as they relate to the world today and requiring students to engage their brains. While there will be testing, it will be geared more to determining, at more frequent and consistent intervals, what the students have learned and how they will use the information.

While that may be encouraging to hear, like everything else, the heart of the matter is in the details, which should include:

* A district’s adherence to communication and input from and with all stakeholders (school personnel, students, parents, community organizations and businesses).

* Ongoing and supported professional development for those directly and indirectly involved in implementation of the standards.

So, with that in mind, I headed to our own District 186 website to see what, if anything, could be found about the Common Core Standards in language geared to the normal parent/community person.

With digging, several phone calls to the district and then more digging, I was able to locate parent/community friendly information regarding Common Core Standards on the Family and Community Engagement (F.A.C.E) page. The link is under the programs tab at the top, then under general, then click on family engagement.

The Common Core information is under a header titled “Stuff.” There is a wealth of good information, and while some of it is from other educational organizations, I presume that the district is utilizing this as they develop and implement their professional development program for staff on the Common Core Standards.

On April 22, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. the Faith Coalition for the Common Good will partner with F.A.C.E. and other community organizations to host a workshop at Southeast High School about the Common Core Standards: how they will be implemented and how we as a community can assist in and outside the classroom in making them a success. We all have a stake in the outcome —the success of our children.

Paula Stadeker is a member of the Faith Coalition’s Education Task Force. For more information, call 544-2297 or visit www.faithcoalition-il.org.

The Faith Coalition for the Common Good’s fourth annual breakfast fundraiser will be held on Thursday, March 27, from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. at Union Baptist Church, 1405 E. Monroe St. All are invited to attend.

Look for Faith Coalition columns each month in Our Towns.

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